Magnetic retriever



March 31, 1970 R. A. HUDDY MAGNETIC RETRIEVER Filed Feb. 25. 1968 l ra. I. 14 L 10 9.

INVEN7'0. R0552? 4Q. HUDDY IOTTOPA/EHS.

United States Patent 3,503,645 MAGNETIC RETRIEVER Robert A. Huddy, Arcadia, Calif, assignor to Sierra Engineering Co., Sierra Madre, 'Calif., a corporation of California Eiled Feb. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 707,601 Int. Cl. B66c 1/06 US. Cl. 294-655 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In various rooms where metal instruments are used and, particularly, in hospital operating rooms suture needles, surgical cutting devices and various other instruments which may be partly or wholly ferrous in composition, are quite apt to be dropped on the floor. Sometimes due to the pressure of other. activity they are not immediately retrieved and may roll into corners or under equipment where they may be forgotten or lost, or perhaps difiicult to retrieve. Although the idea of a mag netic pick-up is not in itself novel, there has not heretofore been a specially designed tool capable of spanning an adequate area of surface, nor one capable of readily reaching under furniture, cabinets and similar inaccessible areas.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved magnetic retriever device which can be easily manipulated by persons standing on a surface where small ferrous articles may have been dropped and which can be manipulated over the surface quickly and effectively to retrieve virtually any ferrous object which might be resting upon it.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved magnetic retriever device which has a particularly efficient working end in that the magnetic pickup extends over a substantial breadth of the working end and is positioned relatively close to but spaced from the surface over which it is passed, the working end of the device moreover being one which occupies little vertical space so that it can be readily inserted under furniture and equipment which stands close to the surface.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved magnetic retriever device which is provided with'a full-length bar effectively shaped at both ends so that the handle can be comfortably grasped and the bar manipulated with a minimum of exertion and the operating end being specially shaped so that it can be readily slid over the surface as it carries a magnetic arm over virtually all the portions of the surface.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereifiafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the retriever.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the retriever.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view through the handle on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

3,503,645 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 ice FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration there is shown a bar 10' having a handle end 11 and a retriever end 12. The bar is of preferably plastic and is curved slightly at the handle end as shown in FIGURE 1. The retriever end 12 is relatively long as compared to the diameter of the bar 10 and is joined to the midportion of the bar 10 by a relatively long arcuate section 13 such that a substantial length of the retriever end can be passed into contact with an appropriate floor surface. At the handle end is a tubular handle 14 adapted to be grasped by one hand of an operator for manipulating the device.

Extending transversely of the retriever end 12 is an arm 15. In the chosen embodiment the arm 15 has substantially equal length on opposite sides of the retriever end 12, both ends of the arm being substantially long as compared to the diameter of the bar. An effective arm construction is one consisting of an elongated strap 16 of ferrous material which is anchored to the retriever end 12. On a downwardly directed face 17 of the strap 16 is a section which may consist of a magnetic impregnated mastic or rubber composition 18. The magnetic impregnated mastic is preferably one wherein the magnetized particles of whatever nature may be selected are in substantial concentration and preferably permanently magnetized with the magnetic poles disposed at opposite locations so that the magnetic attraction is substantially strong. The section of the arm as shown in FIGURE 5 presents a relatively wide long bottom 19 of substantial area and substantially vertical sides 20 and 21 of comparable area, all of which is effective in attracting to the arm ferrous objects which may be encountered.

As shown to good advantage in FIGURE 1, the arm 15 is located in the retriever end 12 at such location that the bottom 19 is spaced a short distance from the surface over which it is passed when in use by being located a short distance removed from the surface contacting edge 22 of the retriever end 12. Further, to facilitate manipulation there is a bevelled portion 23 at the extremity of the retriever end which assists in guiding the retriever end over obstacles which might be encountered upon the surface when in use.

Moreover, by virtue of having the retriever end relatively long, as has been shown and described, and also having the entire operating portion of no greater depth than the diameter of the bar itself, the retriever end can readily be injected into the space under equipment which may be standing about on the surface which is to be swept magnetically by use of the device.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived to be a practical and effective embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent is:

1. A retriever device for retrieving magnetic responsive objects from a floor surface comprising a bar having a handle end and a retriever end, an arm attached to the retriever end and extending transversely thereto, at least one magnetic member on said ar-m having an attracting surface facing said floor surface and in a position immediately adjacent thereto when said retriever end is in a. position bearing on said floor surface, said magnetic member comprising a magnetic impregnated mastic, said handle having portions thereof disposed relative to the longitudinal axis so that when the retriever end is on said floor surface with the magnets facing said floor surface the arm is in an effective orientation relative to an operator.

2. A retriever device according to claim 1 wherein the handle has a portion thereof at said retriever end with the axis in a position parallel to the floor surface, when the magnet is adjacent to and facing said floor surface whereby to provide a 'slidable guide member.

3. A retriever device according to claim 1 wherein the arm extends outwardly for substantially equal distances on both sides of said retriever end.

4. A retriever device according to claim 3 wherein there are a plurality of magnets on said arm on respective sides of said retriever end and said magnets are spaced vertically from a portion of said retriever end which contacts the floor surface so that the magnets clear the floor surface.

5. A retriever device according to claim 1 wherein the arm comprises a magnetic impregnated mastic extending for the full length of the arm.

6. A retriever device according to claim 5 wherein the magnetic impregnated mastic has a bottom and vertical sides each of area comparable to the area of the bottom whereby both side and bottom areas are elfective in attracting ferrous objects to be retrieved.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,377,641 4/1968 McGre-gor 294-655 ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner 

